Monday 28 December 2009

Downsizing?

I think we downsized too early.
Or maybe the whole concept of downsizing when you have kids -- even if they're 24 and 22 -- is outdated nowadays.
Or maybe you just have to time it better.
I'm learning something pretty quickly: You need a big enough living space for you -- and your kids -- to stay comfortably. A family home. Forever.
Don't you? Help me with this if you have thoughts.
If you've left the house where you raised your children, like we did, you still need a big enough home for everyone to be able to stay comfortably -- for quite awhile, it seems to me.
We're squeezed in here, although we have found a way to accomodate everyone.
We have three bedrooms, so we're all in our own rooms. But the smallest room, where my youngest is staying, is tiny, with no closet, so he's on the floor on an inflatable bed we bought.
His suitcase and clothes are also on the floor, overflowing from the case. Since it's the office, we need to move the bulky office chair out at night onto the landing so we can shut the door for him.
It's fine for a couple weeks -- which is all it is. We're having a good family bonding time, which is the important thing, right?
But, but, but.
Shouldn't you have a place that's big and comfortable enough -- with a room for everyone?
I want one. Is that spoiled? I used to have one.
We do have one in Italy. But that's far for everyone to come.
Maybe next year there. Who knows?
Can that be the family home?
Back to here.
It's too small for my family.
Does that matter?
My family's only together for two weeks now for the next few months.
And then who knows. My family is growing up.
My eldest son is going to live in Italy. For awhile anyway.
We live here.
My youngest isn't sure what he's going to do when college wraps up in Charleston, South Carolina this coming spring.
If we still lived outside of Washington, he'd probably go back there, he admitted the other day. That's what all his friends are doing.
We're all in different countries, even if two of them are a cheap(ish) flight away. Is this what we had in mind?
Can't be.

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